Three-throw switch for railroads



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' THRHH THROW SWITCH TOR HAILHOADS..

No. 383,382. M Patented lVLaJy w:

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11. SWASHBURN'. THREE THROW SWITCH FOR RAILROADS.

No. 383,382. Patentedlvray'zz, 8a.

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P. 8. WASHBURN.- y THREE THROW SWITCH'PR RAILROADS.

Patented May 22, 1888.

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NITE STATES PATENT EErcEo FRANK S. VASHBURN, OF CHICAGO, LLINOIS.

THREFTHROW SWlTCH FOR RILRODSn SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 383,382, dated May 22, 1888.

Application filed October 27, 1886. Serial No. 217,362.

.To all whom it may concern..-

Beit known that I, FRANK S. WAsHBURN, of Chicago, in the county of Oook and State of Illinois, have invented certain Improvements in Three-Throw Switches for Railroads, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to that class of switches used where it is required to have one track arranged to connect with threediverging tracks, by which cars and trains may be conducted from a single track onto either one of the three diverging tracks, 'the whole forming what is commonly called a three-throw turn-out. The common practice in constructing such threethrow turn-outs is to bring the ends of the three pairs of rails forming the three diverging tracks as close together as the space necessary for the passage of the flanges ofthe wheels will allow, and arrange for shifting the free ends of the rails of the single track and for placing them opposite to the ends of the rails of that one of the diverging tracks which it is desired to connect with the single track, a space of one inch or so being left between the free ends of the single-track rails and the ends of the rails of the diverging track, the whole forming what is known as a threethrow stub-switch. /Vhenever the wheels pass over the gap between the rails, there is a 3o jar and shock which, when the locomotive is heavy and the traffic of the railroad is large, render it difficult to keep the switch in order; and the effect of such shocks and jars on the locomotives and cars is very injurious, and gives rise to injuries not always traced to the actual cause. The constant hammering on the ends of the rails soon flattens them out, thus increasing the shock. rlhe timber under the ends is constantly sinking into the ballast and requires frequent tamping up. The rod to the lever and bars connecting the switch-rails frequently wears loose and fails to keep the ends of the rails exactly even, and, being subject to much shock and concussion, sometimes breaks, in either case causing accidents.

On all railroads there is more or less of a longitudinal movement of the whole line of rails in one direction or another, commonly described as creeping of the track 5 and this frequently has the effect to vary the distance between the ends of the rails sometimes of it- (No model.)

self enough to lock the ends together, and at other times suicient to enable the expansion of the rails by heat to lock them together, in either case preventing the use of the switch, frequently causing accidents, and giving rise to serious delays to have the ends cut off. To overcome these difficulties in ordinary turnouts, it is common to use switches of the construction known as split switches,77 in which a pair of movable tapering-point rails are arranged between a pair of diverging lined rails and arranged to be shifted a certain distance, to place one or the other of the points against one of the xed rails and cause the wheels of the cars to be conducted by the pointerail in the desired direction 5 but for the purpose of three-throw turn-outs it has been necessary to have two point-switches, one placed a considerable distance back of the other, requiring two switch-stands to operate them,and affording chances for errors as to the relative positions of the respective switches; also from the distance apart of the switches, requiring more space for such three-throw turn-=outs than when stub-switches are used.

The object of my invention is to overcome these difficulties and to provide for threethrow turn-outs an improved arrangement, in which two pairs of tapering-point rails form the termination of four of the rails of the di verging tracks arranged to work between two fixed rails which are the outermost rails of the three-throw turn-out; and my invention consists in certain improvements in the fitting of the tapering-point rails, in connecting them together, and in appliances for giving them operation, by which I am able to have the termination of both pairs of point-rails practically at the same point, so that the point of curve for each of the diverging tracks may be located at one place; also,both pairs of pointrails can be placed and secured in either of the three positions requisite to guide trains on either of the three diverging tracks by only one switch stand and lever.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, Figure 1 isa plan view of a switch embodying my improvements set for the main track, the several parts being in the positions requisite to conduct a train to the center track, Fig. 2 is a plan view of my As shown in Fig. 1, A and C are full-sizedl ordinary rails, forming the outermost of the six rails of a three-throw turn-out.

B and B are tapering-point rails connected to the rails b and b of the main-line track or middle track of the three-throw turn out.

A is a tapering-point rail connected to the one rail a of the turn-out which gages with the left-hand outer rail, A; and C is a tapering-point rail connected to the one rail c of the turn-out which gages with the right-hand outer rail, C. The tapering-point rails are coupled and connected by connecting-bars f f fZfftfffl, and are moved to their respective positions by means of a connecting-rod,j, and cross-bar t'.

The tapering-point rails B and B are planed and shaped in the usual manner to fit against the outer rails, A and C, and to rest upon the fianges of the outer rails, A and C, when respectively placed against said rails. The tapering-point rails A and C are similarly tittcd, except that they are fitted and arranged to rest on the flanges of the point-rails B and B when respectively placed against said pointrails B and B. rlhe usual iron surface-plates or slide-plates, 71y 7i', &c., are placed on-the timbers or cross-ties under the switch, the upper surfaces of which, for those portions of them under the point-rails B, B, A', and C', are on a higher plane than the portions under the outer rails, so that when the point-rails are to be placed against the outer rails, A and C, the bearing of the remaining portions of the slideplates h h', dto., will support the point-rails and vallow them to slide freely into proper contact with the outer rails, A and C. As the point-rails A and C are to rest, respectively, on the point-rails B and B, raising-pieces a2 and c2 are riveted to the under side of the remaining flanges of the point-rails A and C, in order to givesaid point-rails aproper bearing on the slide-plates and support ythem in the plane requisite for them to be moved freely into position.

For the proper operation of my switch the point-rail A must be connected or coupled to point-rail B, which requires the connectingbar to pass through the point-rail G to reach the point-rail B. Likewise to couple pointrail B to point-rail G the connecting-bar must pass through point-rail A. To avoid making large openings through the vertical webs of the point-rails A and C', I prefer to provide forked connections e c', dtc., which pass through holes in the webs of the point-rails A and C and attach to the point-rails B and B. The forked connections I prefer to attach by pivots g to the connecting-barsffz, die.; but the connecting-barsf f2, Src., may be forged solid without pivot, or in any other manner be provided with forks at one end of them.

The other end may be of any form suitable for attaching to point-rails.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I show apreferable form of the forked connection e, the ends of the fork being fitted with shoulders to bear against one side of the web of the point-rail, and when nuts are screwed up tightly the point-rail and the forked connection will be securely connected.

To properly operate a threethrow split ploy two stands, or duplex stands, with two levers, as the changes in the positions of the point-rails to conduct cars into the several tracks are changes or variations of combinations77 affecting but one pair of points at one time, instead of complete changes of position of all the moving parts, as in a three-throw stub-switch; but in my improvement I am able to edect all the changes by one stand, with only one spindle and only one hand-lever, by which the convenience of operation, as Well as safety, is greatly enhanced, rendering it practicable to indicate by one revolving target the condition of the switch. This important result is obtained by providing the spindle of the stand with two cranks, 7c and a, of diiferent throws, and by rods attached thereto and to different parts of the switch, as shown in Figs. l and 4.. The crank k has a throw equal to about onehalf the throw of each pair of point-rails, and is connected by connectingrod j to a cross bar, t', which is jonrnaled at one end to the connecting-bar f, which connects the point-rails A and B, and at the other end is journaled to the connecting-barf, which connects the point-rails B and C. The crank n has a throw equal to the travel of the pointrails A and B, and is connected by slotted connecting-rod Z to the end of connectingbar f, which connects said point-rails A and B, and holds pointrail B solidly against outer rail A, the parts standing as shown in Figs. 1 and 4L, the switch being set for the middle track, the hand-lever of the stand standing in the center position on the side of the stand opposite the track.

To change the switch from the above position to that shown in Fig. 2, to conduct cars to the left-hand track, the hand-lever of the stand is moved one quarter-turn toward the heel of the switch, in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. l, which brings crank k toward the track and crank it around tothe righttowardtheheelof theswitch. Ascranks 7c and a do not stand exactly at right angles to each other, crank a, passing oft the center toward the right, allows the slotted connectingrod l to move toward the track, and thus releases connecting-bar f and the point-rails A and B, attached thereto, so that the movement of crank k will, bythe onnecting-rodj, move the point-rail A up to point-rail B and outer rail O and move the point-rail B away from the outer rail A. Point-rail B having already been pressed up to outer rail C as far as it can go, the journal-pin z" becomesthe axis switch it has heretofore been necessary to em- IOO IZO

of movement o1 the cross-bar z', and therefore the movement communicated through the crank 7c and connecting-rod j actuates the point-rails A and B only, so that when the hand-lever has been moved around one quarter-turn the point-rails A and B will have been fully moved to the right hand, (opening the way to the left-hand track,) and will be retained in that position wholly by the connecting-rod j.

To set the switch to conduct ears to the right-hand track, as shown in Fig. 3, (being previously set for the middle track,) the handlever of the stand is moved one quarter-turn away fron the heel of the switch, which swings crank n in a direction away from the heel of the switch and swings crank kto the left away from the track. Point-rail B being already pressed closely against the outer rail A, the

journalpin i2 becomes the axis of the movement of the cross-bar t', and the movement of the crank lo results in moving point-rails B and C to the'left hand, opening the way to the righthand track, and retaining said pointrails in that position wholly by the connecting-rod j. When theswitch is set for the middie track, as in Fig. l, it is obvious that, ex-

cept for the slotted connection Z and the crank a, the point-rails could not be positively held in the proper positions7 but could stand in various intermediate positions, the journal-pin i3 becoming the axis of the movement of the crossbar i, so that if a force be applied to the end ofthe point-rail B said point-rail could be forced away from the outer rail A, and the point-rail Bwould at the same time be brought away from the outer rail C, by the movement of the connecting-barsf and f and cross-bar i, and thus the switch might be rendered unsafe; hence the value of the functions of the slotted connection Z and the crank it, which draw on the connectingbarf and hold the point-rail B firmly and rigidly against the outer rail A at the same time that the crank k, by the outer connecting-rod,j, holds the cross-bar i in the requisite position for pressing the point-rail B firmly against the outer rail C, the result of the combined operation being to maintain the safe position of the point-rails when the switch is set to conduct trains to the middle track.

To change the switch from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. l, it is only necessary to give the lever and shaft a quartenturn in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2 from the position therein shown, whereupon the crank n and bar Z move the rails B and A. During this action the bar f moves the fulcrum i2 of lever t' in such manner that the lever can accommodate itself to the movement of bar j without affecting the bar f or the rails O B. In the same manner the rails are changed from the position of Fig. 3 to that of Fig. l by giving the crank-shaft a quarter-turn in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3 from the position therein shown, the crank k and barj acting, through the lever i and barf, to move the rails C and B', the action being controlled and :modified by the crank n and bar Z, which, through the barf, hold the fulcrum i of lever t' in the required position. It will be perceived that the peculiar movements are secured by reason of the lever i moving at different times around different points and of the changing position of these points.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l. In a three-throw split switch, the combi nation of two movable points, and a connect ing-bar having one end forked and passed through holes in an intermediate point, where` by au undue weakening of the middle point for the passage of the bar is avoided.

2. The coupling-bar for a split switch, having one `end divided vertically into two par allel horizontal arms adapted to pass through separate holes in the switch-rail, substantially as described.

3. In a three-throw split switch, the combination of the two pairs of switch-points, a single operatingshaft provided with two cranks, and connecting devices, substantially as described, for operating both pairs of points therefrom.

et. The points B and A and their connect ing-barf, and the points C and B/ and their connecting-bar, in combination with the lever z', uniting said connecting-bars, the operating shaft with two cranks, the pitlnan extending from one crank to said lever, and the rod eX- tending from the connecting-barf to the sec ond crank, and having a limited independent motion whereby the Aone crankshaft is enabled to control a three-throw split switch.

5. In a split switch, the two pairs ofswitch points and their connecting-bars, in combination with the connecting-lever z' and an operating-rod jointed to said lever.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, this 22d day of October, 1886, in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

FRANK S. VASHBURN.

Vit nesses:

HOWARD HALLooK, ALBERT H. ADAMs.

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